Boston Commons

All last week I was in Boston for the National Conference of State Legislatures. It's the second time I've been in Boston this year, though the first time was only for a day. I like Boston a lot...much like I like Philadelphia. I think it's cool being in a city that is so old. But the traffic stresses me out. I'm a pretty aggressive driver (by Midwest standards), but watching our bus drivers slide through "lanes" with less that six inches on either side made my heart race. I don't know how any cars in Boston maintain their side-view mirrors.

In addition to the informative topical sessions I went to in order to hopefully serve the legislature better, we were treated to a tour of Fenway, including seeing the dugout and locker room of the Red Sox. I'm not a big baseball fan, but it was still cool to stand next to the field and hear my guy friends talk about the Green Monster. And Bostonians are pretty rabid about their BoSox, much like Kentuckians are about Big Blue Basketball.

One afternoon I went with a few other co-workers to visit the JFK Library. I'd never been to a presidential library, but it was fascinating. I think my favorite part is the room you come into at the very end of the museum. It is a huge, 3 story concrete floor & glass wall room in the shape of the front of a boat. It sits on a peninsula, just a few feet from Boston Harbor. When we had entered the museum it was bright and sunny, but by the time I got to that room, the fog had rolled in and I felt enveloped in a cocoon. I felt very, very small in that room.

Our last night in Boston included a concert by the Boston Pops in an open-air auditorium on the harbor. We got to sample lots of New England food specialties, and enjoyed the performance. It was a perfect day for being outside, too, with temperatures in the low 80s and little humidity. I felt even more fortunate because I knew it was around 100 degrees in Louisville and as muggy as it gets!

There were several things I wanted to do while in Boston, but didn't get a chance to do: dim sum, the U.S.S. Constitution, Mike's Bakery, and Spectacle Island all come to mind. But what I was really bummed about is that during my entire stay, I never saw a Boston Terrier! Lisa will tell you that I'm somewhat obsessed with these little dogs. It will be several years before I ever have the ability to adopt a dog, but this is definitely the breed I will get. I love these guys. :-) At least I did come home from Boston with a small stuffed BT.